• How Nigeria can win war against GBV, by Fayemi
French Ambassador to Nigeria, Emmanuella Blatmann, has identified economic downturns and insecurity as major drivers of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Nigeria and other countries facing similar challenges.
The envoy stated this, yesterday, at a sensitisation session for students of Lycée Francais Marcel du Pagnold’ Abuja (French School Abuja) organised by Avocats Sans Frontieres (ASF), France, in partnership with the Embassy of France in Nigeria and Institut du Francais.
The event was part of activities to mark this year’s 16 Days of Activism against GBV.
Describing GBV as a global scourge, the envoy stressed the need for young children to be educated online and how to ensure a safe online and offline environment that would be based on tolerance, respect and not aggressive attacks.
According to her, GBV is worse in places of wars, conflicts or countries suffering from economic crisis, adding that the most vulnerable humans are girls and women.
The envoy said: “What we are focusing on is online GBV, which is one part of GBV. Unfortunately, GBV takes a lot of aspects and dimensions, and one of them is online. We are in a connected world; so it is important to educate teenagers, who are the ones that actually suffer the most in respect to online and cyber harassment.”
Country Director of ASF France, Angela Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, blamed lack of awareness for the upsurge of the menace, noting that there is need to address the scourge holistically.
WIFE of former Ekiti State Governor, Bisi Fayemi, has emphasised the need for Nigeria to stop fuelling practices, beliefs and stereotypes that undermine the physical and emotional well-being of women and girls, to combat all forms of GBV.
She made the call in Abuja, yesterday, during the launch of Invictus Africa Womanity Index (GBV) 2023 Report on Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) conducted in partnership with BudgIT and the Ford Foundation.
The report provides a comprehensive assessment of Nigeria’s 36 state governments and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) based on their commitments to preventing and responding to GBV and creating a safe and inclusive environment for all.
According to Fayemi, all harmful traditional practices, which minimise the personhood of women must be avoided, as well as the thriving culture of impunity, anchored on the shaming and intimidation of survivors resulting in lack of access to justice.
She added: “Their time has passed. Widow abuse, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), child marriage, male preference, disinheritance of women and so on, are not compatible with the doctrine of inalienable human rights.”
Inside the report also launched by Fayemi, Abia, Ekiti, Imo and Lagos are considered ‘Blue States’ under the Laws and Policies Index, because they have established robust legal frameworks that criminilise GBV, outlawed customary and religious practices that perpetuate GBV.
